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3106.photography

Created 16 January 2003 ... Updated 26 December 2005

Exposure meters

Many old cameras do not have a built-in exposure meter. Usually that's not a real problem as the old sunny-16 rule (see below) still applies. To estimate the exposure gets more difficult indoors, during sunsets, heavy rains or overcast days so an exposure meter is indeed a very handy tool to have.

Before the electronic era, people would calculate the correct exposure using one of the many exposure tables. These table usually take many variables into account: time of day, time of year, weather conditions, subject etcetera. An example of those charts is listed below.

One of the oldest, still existing manufacturors of electronic exposure meters is the German Gossen. They have produced many meters and the meter design shows much about the time the meter was produced. It's not difficult to tell which meter was produced in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s etcetera, actually one of the nice things about collecting exposure meters.

Gossen has a great web site (see links) where they show all their meters. They have PDF of most manuals of the old light meters online. They are also great for whenever you would like to have a non-listed manual for your meter, considering that they will not make money of the old meters anymore. Just ask them, they are very friendly, that's what I call customer service!

Well, actually, I was just going to buy one exposure meter, then one for backup and then another one because it looked so nice.... Another growing collection :o)

Gossen Sixtar
My work-horse exposure meter. It's big, it's heavy but it's sturdy and goes on forever. It's made to work with now obsolete mercury batteries but it seems to be pretty acurate with never alkaline 625 batteries, you might have to recalibrate using the screw at the back but then it works. In the mean time I bought three of them as they cost next to nothing.

Manufactured : 1964
Type : CdS, Reflected and incident
Power : PX 625 or the newer types
Size :

Links:
> photo.net - basic instructions
> Copy of the German manual

Gossen Sixtomat

Manufactured : 1950
Type : Selenium, Reflected and incident
Power supply : none
Size :

Gossen Sixon

Manufactured : 1952
Type : Selenium, Reflected and incident
Power supply : none
Size :

Electro Bewi
Have never figured out how to use this one, it might be broken, but it's the coolest exposure meter I own. They're easy to find used and they're cheap.

Excerpt from a 1938 catalogue:

Herlango Jubiläumsführer
80 Jahre Herlango und Vorgängerfirmen 1858 - 1938

Super-Elektro-Bewi

Kombinierter Präzisionsbelichtungsmesser - zeigt bei guten Lichtverhältnissen durch Zeigerausschlag den Lichtwert an, auf Grund dessen dann mit einem Blick die Belichtungszeit für alle Blenden von 1,4 bis 36 abgelesen werden kann. Wenn bei Nachtaufnahmen oder in dunklen Innenräumen der Zeiger wegen scwachem Licht nicht mehr ausschlägt, so ist durch den eingebauten optischen Messer noch eine einwandfreie Weitermessung möglich. Photo- und Kino-Angaben in einem Messer auf getrennten Tabellen.

Preis : RM 38,-
Spezialmodell für Leica und Kino : RM 38,-
Zippverschlußbeutel : RM 2,-

Manufactured : approx. 1935
Type :
Power supply : none
Size :
Remarks :

Bewi automat C
The Bewi automat C seems to be made to be put on the accessory shoe but it's missing the necessary holder. Maybe it was an option or mine just got lost but it's small enough to put in your pocket and take with you whereever you go. Of course you should also take a camera with you :o)

Manufactured :
Type : Selenium, Reflected and incident
Power supply : none
Size :

Ikophot
Nothing screams "1960s" louder than a kidney-shaped table, the beatles and this exposure meter.

Manufactured :
Type :
Power supply : none
Size :

Justodrem

Manufactured : late 1930s
Type : optical
Power supply : none
Size :
Price : RM 6.50, leather cover RM 1.40 (1938)

This meter works by using the eye to find the correct exposure. You look through a tube in which a row of letters is glued. The light coming in through the other end of the tube is only bright enough to see a certain number of letters. The darkest letter that can still be distinguished is then looked up on the meter's table to find the corresponding correct exposure.

From the box:

Instructions for Use. Setting or Sight. Place the Justodrem close against the eye and slide the outer tube in or out until the letters appear sharp when looking through the meter. Testing Light. Having adjusted for your sight as above, point the Justodrem to the subject. Starting from the brightest letter A, decide which is the faintest letter that is Readable (Test should take 5 to 10 seconds). Observation of this letter forms the test. In the column (on the outside of the meter) under this letter will be seen the various times of exposure (black) for every stop (red). Speed of Film or Plate. Without Filter : Turn the ring (under the eye-pice) to bring the red arrow opposite the Scheiner No. of the plate of film being used. With Filter : Instead of the arrow, set the factor (2, 4, or 8) of the filter opposite the Scheiner No.

Manual exposure chart
Before they invented electronic exposure meters and before everyone could afford such meter, people had to guestimate the correct exposure or use one of the numerous exposure cards available. It's quite easy to use one but it needs some time before you have calculated the correct exposure. It's still extremely accurate however and when using a large format camera on a tripod, it will take ages before you are ready to take an exposure anyway.

Printed : Germany 1916
Language : German
Type : thick paper card
Size : pocketable

> download card

Market overview 1985

A market overview of 1985 exposure meters show many different yet similar exposure meters. Always nice to have a clear overview of what the different meter can do, especially when they can now be had cheaply on the second hand market. Be careful to buy a light meter with a currently still available battery. Mercury batteries are hard to find now and will be impossible to find in the near future. The newer 1.5 Volt replacement batteries might work accurately but this is not guaranteed. So be warned.

	Gossen Bisix 2	Gossen Sixtino 2	Gossen Sixon 2	Gossen Sixtomat 2 electronic	Gossen Lunalite	Gossen Lunasix 3	Gossen Lunasix F	Gossen Profisix	Gossen Mastersix
System	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident flash	direct incident	direct incident flash
EV at ISO100	7 - 17	5 - 17	3 - 17	3 - 17	1 - 17	-4 - 17	-1 - 17	-4 - 17	-4 - 23
Type	Selenium	Selenium	CdS	CdS	Silicium	CdS	Silicium	Silicium	Silicium
Angle of measurement	50°	50°	36°	30°	30°	30°	30/20°	30/20° normal/flash	30/20° normal/flash
Battery	-	-	1x 1,35V button	2x 1,35V button	9V block	2x 1,35V button	9V block	9V block	9V block
ISO range	6 - 3200	6 - 3200	6 - 3200	6 - 12500	0,8 - 100000	0,8 - 25000	0,8 - 100000	0,8 - 100000	1 - 800000
Aperture scale	f 1,4 - f 22	f 1,4 - f 22	f 1,4 - f 22	f 1,0 - f 45	f 0,7 - f 128	f 1,0 - f 90	f 0,7 - f 128	f 0,7 - f 128	f 0,7 - f 90
Shutter scale	60' - 1/1000	8s - 1/1000	15' - 1/2000	2h - 1/2000	8h - 1/4000	8h - 1/4000	8h - 1/4000	8h - 1/4000	8h - 1/4000
EV scale	-	-	-	-6 - 24	-8 - 24	-8 - 24	-8 - 24	-8 - 24	-8 - 24
Size (mm) w x h x d	56 x 75 x 34	47 x 56 x 28	60 x 72 x 25	60 x 80 x 32	71 x 110 x 43	71 x 110 x 36	71 x 110 x 43	71 x 110 x 43	71 x 125 x 35
Weight (gr)	60	40	50	80	170	170	195	195	190
Price new 1985 in DM	65	85	120	135	235	310	400	400	970

	Minolta Auto-Meter III	Minolta Auto-Meter III F	Minolta Flash-Meter III
System	direct incident	direct incident flash	direct incident flash
EV at ISO100	-2,4 - 19,1 (i) 1 - 22,5(d)	-2,4 - 19,1 (i) 1 - 22,5(d)	1 - 18,2
Type	Silicium	Silicium	Silicium
Angle of measurement	40°	40°	40°
Battery	6V AlMa / Lith	6V AlMa / Lith	6x x 1,5V Silber
ISO range	12 - 6400	12 - 6400	12 - 3200
Aperture scale	f 0,7 - f 64	f 0,7 - f 64	f 1 - f 90
Shutter scale	30' - 1/2000	30' - 1/2000	30' - 1/1000
EV scale	-5,4 - 28,5	-5,4 - 28,5	1 - 23,2
Size (mm) w x h x d	132 x 69 x 31	132 x 69 x 31	30 x 68 x 157
Weight (gr)	150	170	240
Price new 1985 in DM	380	650	1150

	Sekonic Auto Lumi L-158	Sekonic Auto Lumi L-188	Sekonic Multi Lumi L-248	Sekonic Studio DeLuxe L-398	Sekonic System Meter L-428	Sekonic Studio Auto II L-448	Sekonic Flash Meter L-256 D	Sekonic Digipro X-1 L-518
System	direct	direct	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident	direct incident flash	direct incident flash
EV at ISO100	7 - 17	3 - 18	2 - 18	-4 - 17 (i) 9 - 17 (d)	-3 - 18 (i) 1 - 22 (d)	-4 - 17 (i) 0 - 21 (d)	9 - 20 (i) 10 - 21 (d)	-1 - 18
Type	Selenium	CdS	CdS	Selenium	Silicium	Silicium	Silicium	Silicium
Angle of measurement	65°	60°	38°	54°	40°	40°	65°	55°
Battery	-	1,5 V Mercury	1,3 V Mercury	-	1,5 V Mercury	1,5 V Mercury	5,6 V Mercury	1,5 V Mangan
ISO range	6 - 12000	6 - 12000	6 - 12000	6 - 12000	0,8 - 25000	3 - 25000	6 - 12000	6 - 8000
Aperture scale	f 1 - f 64	f 1 - f 64	f 1 - f 64	f 1 - f 90	f 1 - f 90	f 1 - f 90	f 1,4 - f 128	f 1 - f 90
Shutter scale	8s - 1/2000	8s - 1/2000	30' - 1/4000	60s - 1/2000	60' - 1/4000	60' - 1/4000	1s - 1/2000	30' - 1/8000
EV scale	-2 - 19	-2 - 19	-3 - 23	1 - 20	-7 - 24	-7 - 22	-	-5 - 24,9
Size (mm) w x h x d	52 x 81 x 25	52 x 81 x 20	60 x 100 x 33	58 x 107 x 30	65 x 136 x 47	68 x 130 x 35	65 x 136 x 45	142 x 64 x 28
Weight (gr)	50	50	170	250	280	200	320	200
Price new 1985 in DM	50	90	140	200	380	400	450	860

Sunny 16 rule

The sunny 16 rule is a very basic and easy to use rule that tells you the correct exposure. You should not really use it for slides but for negative film stock it works pretty well.

The rule sais that on a bright sunny day, to photograph a subject standing in direct or frontal sunlight, your exposure should be:
shutter speed = 1 / (film speed) at f=16

For example, when your film speed is 100, your shutter speed should be:
1 / 100 at f=16, this will be 1 / 125 on most cameras

Of course, 1 / 100 at f=16 is the same as 1 / 200 at f=11 and 1 / 400 at f=8.
Using the standard shutter speed settings on your camera this will usually become 1 / 125, 1 / 250 and 1 / 500 with the difference working out minimal for negative film.

This rule can be extended by the following table:

lighting conditions	shadow detail	aperturef	shutter speed
sunny	distinct	f=16	1 / (film speed)
slight overcast	soft around the edges	f=11	1 / (film speed)
overcast	barely visible	f=8	1 / (film speed)
heavy overcast	no shadows	f=5.6	1 / (film speed)

For more information and more precise tables, try the search engines for "sunny 16 rule".

Documentation

A copy of a 1931 Herlango Austria catalogue where the Box Brownies are also described. Prices in Austrian Schilling.

Herlango catalogue 1931 - Exposure Meters

Printed Exposure Meter
German, 457 Kb

1931 Herlango Catalogue
Exposure Meters
German, 272 Kb

Exposure Weblinks

Eddy Van Haute & Chantal Verbeeck
A small but interesting exposure meter and camera collection.

OldCameras.at
Website of an avid exposure meter collector.